bakerstreet | train to the afterlife.

train to the afterlife.

the train to the afterlife meme

maybe you know how, maybe you don't. perhaps the memory is fuzzy, or perhaps it's crystal clear down to the look in your comrades' eyes. maybe it was your time; you've done all you wanted to. or maybe you weren't at all ready to go, maybe you went out kicking and screaming -- but none of it matters. you know you're dead, and the train is taking you to an afterlife. perhaps an afterlife of your choice; you might've earned that heaven. or perhaps you've earned something else entirely.

it'll be a bit of a journey, though, so you might as well take your time and talk to the other people in your coach. death knows no place: most of them are strangers, even from faraway worlds. but death knows no time either, so who knows, some of them may be people you know, even if last you knew, they were alive -- or long gone.

oh look, here comes the snack cart.

the usual;
➝ post with your character's name, canon, and preferences.
➝ said character is now dead for whatever reason -- canon, au, what have you. they are on a train with other dead people from many other times, places, and worlds.
➝ characters don't know for a fact where they're headed -- just a general awareness that they're going to some kind of afterlife. whatever they think it is is up to the player.
➝ tag around and play nice!

TRIGGER WARNING!! this meme obviously deals with death and may deal with other unpleasant themes as a result. please be cautious.

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"Unnatural but not impossible," Kylo himself is unsure whether he only wants to believe it or if it's intuition into a truth. "You just said we had surpassed them."

Is this denial, Kylo thinks? The last desperate acts of a condemned man? But they're already dead, aren't they? Is there anything left to lose.

"I don't want this to be it," He admits. The flash of weakness doesn't bother him. He's not wallowing, he's just- even at the end of all things, he's looking for someone to follow. That leaves the General by default. Kylo should feel pathetic, but he's burned it out of himself at last, there are so many greater things he should be ashamed of.

"You sound like you've thought about this before." He realized that despite having known each other for years there was a lot he didn't know about Kylo aside from his background. "In some ways, yes. But I'm not a Sith Lord, I couldn't surpass Palpatine in that regard," he pointed out. As much as he had read about Palpatine's writings on the Sith, he knew that he couldn't ever really understand without having some knowledge of the Force.

"Neither do I. It's not right, I had so much more I wanted to accomplish. I wasn't supposed to just be another Tarkin or Piett. I was supposed to be....more." What could they do about it? Hux wondered if they were just fighting the inevitable and perhaps this really was it. Everything in him told him that it was, logically he knew this, but there was still a part of him which wanted to fight nonetheless.

He bowed his head, his knuckles white as he gripped the edges of his seat harder. He wasn't prepared to deal with anything like this and suddenly he felt the emotions welling up, threatening to overcome him.

"Those records were said to be destroyed," He says mildly. "What did they say of Sith Lords?" Maybe a faint hint of accusation. Those records might have proven useful. Might have seen him overcoming his weaknesses, might have kept them from this end.

"What more were you meant to be?" He wasn't indulging. He wasn't. He was curious. For as little as Hux knew about him, Kylo knew as little about Hux. Aside from the guilty surface skimmings of the other man's mind. But that was purely to gauge reaction and emotion. To help him needle more efficiently, as with the clone troop remark from- oh it seems like years ago.

Kylo notices those physical manifestations of stress and uncertainty. It both unsettles him and calms him, Hux's nervous energy bleeds into him, but he knows that they must face whatever is ahead. And... and that they will not face it alone. Not now.

"They weren't, I was given them when I was young. I protected them, hid them along with research from Imperial scientists." Hux knew those records gave him power and an advantage over anyone else in the First Order. "There was a lot of history on the Sith. There is something called the Rule of Two. There can only be two Sith at once- the master and the apprentice. Palpatine only mentioned his master, Darth Plagueis, a few times in reference to his quest to be able to thwart death. But his writings doesn't say how to do so." There had been missing records which had proved frustrating.

He looked at Ren, his expression composed. "I suppose I can tell you here. You can't tell Snoke and have me executed for treason," he remarked slowly.

"When I was five years old I lived on Palpatine's former star destroyer- the Ecplise for awhile. I sat on his throne once, closed my eyes and for a moment I was the Emperor. I knew then what I was destined for. Everything I've done since then was to reform the Empire and take Palpatine's place. I had it planned, I was so close..."

And then he had died. Leia Organa and her Resistance had destroyed his destiny. He closed his eyes for a moment as he sat back, trying to regain control of his emotions. He hadn't felt so upset since he had left Arkanis as a child, he felt so pathetic, as if he were five years old again.

"Given? Who gave them to you?" Who had the right? They ought to have gone to Kylo, had he not been born to Resistance wolves. Those records ought to have been his birth right. His jaw is so tight with frustration that it aches and he tries to relax. Tries not to hold to bitterness. It wasn't Hux's fault he was born to a family with Imperial heritage that was celebrated, not .. not hidden. Not lied about. "I don't... think even Snoke knew much of the ways of the Sith."

But he turns the name over and over in his mind. Plaguesis. He wonders if Vader was mentioned in the records, but refrains from asking after his grandfather, for a piece of his own heritage. For now.

"You planned on unseating Snoke?" There's a flash of dry amusement. Hux had the arrogance of an Emperor. "And what of me?" Had Hux planned on moving against him, too? Kylo's sure he already has the answer to that obvious question.

"After the Emperor's death, a few high ranking Imperial officers formed a council. They tried to not only keep the Empire together but to keep certain things out of the Republic's hands. That included Imperial records along with the remains of the Imperial Navy and Imperial forces," he explained. His alliance with Rae Sloane had ensured his survival and the power he needed to become more than just the skinny bastard son of Brendol Hux. "I doubt he had access to Palpatine's writings but I never knew for certain. I wasn't going to give him that knowledge."

Not willingly. He was sure if Snoke knew what he was hiding or what his plans were he would have been eliminated long ago.

"Yes. You realize I control the army, Ren." Hux looked at Ren, taking a deep breath. He was glad for the distraction, it allowed him to keep other emotions in check. "You're loyal to Snoke, I couldn't depend on you. I had a plan to have you eliminated as well." He wouldn't deny it, he had learned to be cruel and efficient as a result of his Imperial background. Personal feelings had no place in such decisions.

"It is because of Snoke you had the First Order at all," Tone mildly waspish. "What gave you the right to those records except... an accident of birth." Kylo, of course, considers himself the true heir to the Empire. Not the throne, never the throne. That was never in his ambition, never in his want.

"Your army is a little rebellious," There's no sting in that reply. "What was your plan?" He feels morbid enough to ask, resigned now with a small sting of betrayal Hux's admission. Kylo did not wish to share leadership of Starkiller with Hux, but never sought to have him eliminated. Hux and his position was necessary so long as it did not interfere with Kylo's missions. He hadn't considered betrayal.

"Snoke didn't create the First Order, Ren. But you are right in a way, he was important in its survival," he agreed before narrowing his eyes. He was proud of his Imperial heritage even if he had been born in the last years of the Empire. It was still who he was.

"I had every right to them. My father was a member of the ruling council after the Emperor's death andI was raised by an Imperial Grand Admiral who would have been the Emperor's successor. Now that task falls to me, not you. You never lived under the Empire, you could never understand what it is to be an Imperial."

It felt a little strange to talk of this while they were on the way to the afterlife but he figured he might as well tell Ren if he really wanted to know.

"Something similar to Order 66. Execution in the middle of battle. Efficient, simple, and effective. Didn't you ever wonder why stormtroopers had weapons that could withstand a lightsaber blade?"

"Snoke is the reason the First Order succeeded. He would have foreseen your betrayal before you acted," But Kylo says this without true conviction, as though he's only parroting words that have been drilled into him.

Kylo snorts then, "And my grandfather was the Emperor's right hand. If you weren't such a treacherous snake, this might have all been different." And there's the bitterness again, like poison in his dead veins. He wants to hurt Hux again, even if only verbally.

"It was not my place to consider it." And why should he have? He was necessary.

"Ren, I've been planning to sit on Palpatine's throne since I was five years old. If he had sensed anything before I'm sure I would have been dead long before now," Hux pointed out. He knew Snoke was powerful and Hux knew enough to be wary of that power.

"I'm sure you're trying to hurt me but I'm not ashamed of who I am," Hux said as he stared at Ren, leaning forward.

"Perhaps you should have instead of just doing what Snoke told you. I always wondered why you seemed content to be just another Darth Vader," he remarked. If they were going to be honest and go for each other's weak spots then he would return the favor. "Despite the fact I think you're an idiot and a liability, even I can admit you're powerful. I think you're capable of more than what Snoke has told you."

"He must have known," Kylo refused to believe Snoke had missed something so large and poised for betrayal. "Your ambition may have amused him." Though it's an offering with no sting or force behind it.

"You say that like it's a bad thing," The insult finds it's mark but Kylo tries to show he's unbothered by it. He sinks in his seat, slouching to tip his head back against the ledge of of said seat. Vader was the only one powerful enough to destroy the Empire. For whatever reason. Not even Palpatine could stay Vader's hand.

"I know what I'm capable of-" He snaps, nostrils flaring as he exhales. Frustrated. But he doesn't look at Hux, the frustration is aimed at himself, not the General. "I've always known. I've always felt it just out of reach. Snoke was guiding me to my destiny, to overcoming my weakness."

"Think about it, Ren. Does it make sense that Snoke would want to train you to your full potential?" Hux asked, moving so he could face Kylo fully.

"Palpatine killed his master. It's said that Vader killed the Emperor, though no one knew for certain. Do you think Snoke would want to risk you deciding that you didn't need him anymore? It's in his best interests to keep you dependant on him so you'll never be a challenge," he pointed out.

He would never have dared to say this while he was alive, he didn't want to help Kylo out that much before. He watched Kylo slouch down, not sure what to make of it. "You're on your own now, though."

"He knows I am loyal." Kylo snaps this. Then amends- "Knew I was loyal." And Snoke was powerful. Wasn't it? More so than Kylo himself.

"Vader did kill the Emperor. He saw the corruption that had taken hold of Palpatine. It was better to destroy it all than let it fester as the Republic had," His grandfather had guided him to this conclusion. But Vader had been so silent as of late, even when Kylo begged the melted helm for guidance.

"As are you, Emperor," It's a dig with dulled teeth. "I would never challenge him. Unless he lost his way and endangered the Order."

"Some of us don't want to live as a puppet, Ren," Hux snapped. Being called Emperor should have made him thrilled but now it felt like a slap in the face. He would never be Emperor now, never sit on Palpatine's throne. He had failed.

"What are you going to do now?" He asked, not looking at him. He wasn't shaking anymore, something he was glad of, but he felt lost. He had to accept that he was dead and there was no coming back, he would never realize his ambitions. He wasn't sure who he was without the First Order, it had consumed his entire life. He wasn't prepared to deal with these kinds of emotions and he tried to shove the grief down again. He wouldn't cry, he refused to break down.

"Loyalty to an ideal isn't being a puppet," He's pleased that his insult did find the mark, but it's less satisfying than he would have liked. "I'm sure you wouldn't understand." Perhaps he's still a little stung from knowing Hux had intended to execute him in the field like a traitor or a useless creature.

Kylo does take a moment to consider Hux's question, mouth drawn tight into a line. "Nothing. Yet." He wants to see what happens when this transport arrives. What's on the other side. "You?" Because he is curious. There is no way for Hux to plan or scheme his way out.

"I don't know." He had to force each word out between gritted teeth. Nothing made him feel more upset and off guard than not having a plan. He wanted to plan something, figure what he was going to do but now he was entirely at a loss. He hated it and he hated that Kylo saw him at such a low point.

But he felt something inside of him starting to break up and he hated himself for it. He could practically hear his father's voice in his head taunting him for his weakness.

"I'm sure you must be delighted to see me like this," he said bitterly. They had spent the last five years trying to get the best of each other while destroying the other. "Enjoy it while you can."

"I thought it would bring me more pleasure," But he has been brought low as well, so it's difficult to appreciate Hux's circumstances more enthusiastically.

Kylo lets the words hang for a long minute, then adds, "You never appreciated my authority. My power. You sought to undermine me with everyone, especially the Supreme Leader. I wouldn't let that go unanswered." He saw slights at every turn, whether they were real or perceived.

"I was willing to get you a chance at first," Hux admitted slowly. "When Snoke told me that he would be sending you to me, I thought that we could work together as Tarkin and Vader did, as equals. But the moment you stepped off your shuttle you made it clear you had absolutely no respect for me either. You acted like an overgrown child, how could I respect you?"

His tone lacked any bite to it though, no matter how he tried it just wouldn't come out. "I wasn't going to let you order me around like some lowly officer and I wasn't going to live in fear."

"I wasn't part of your ranks. I had to make my equal authority clear," He frowned, just one corner of his mouth turning down.

"I didn't want you afraid, not at first," He wasn't sure what he wanted. Wasn't sure how to interact without submitting or lording over another. He felt stunted in that, and thus vulnerable. And prone to lashing out harder.

Kylo went silent again. "These new circumstances.... warrant a new proposal."

"I never expected you to be. I wasn't going to just defer to you constantly, however. I had to make that clear." Perhaps their years of antagonizing each other had been for nothing but it was too late to change that now.

He glanced at Kylo before nodding. "I agree. Neither of us is in command of anything anymore. There's nothing to fight over." That meant it was just the two of them, as individuals. He had never had to relate to anyone on a personal level before, just as himself. "What are you proposing then?"

"Not constantly," But he doesn't pursue the issue. There's no point. He wonders for a moment if the animosity fostered between them was purposefully done And gives Hux a long look. He doesn't bring it up. Not now. Not yet.

"A truce. An... alliance. Our destination and what is beyond is unknown to either of us." Kylo's holds Hux's eye contact. He doesn't blink, doesn't flinch. It's almost staring. It doesn't pain him so much to say, "Your tactical mind, my power."

Hux had never thought he would be a position where he would consider trusting Kylo Ren. But this wasn't something he had been expecting and he had nothing left to lose. So he nodded, letting out a breath. He wouldn't admit it but he felt a bit more reassured to know that he wouldn't have to face their destination alone.

"It's a deal," he finally said, his gaze never wavering from Kylo's.

Kylo inclines his head, then finally breaks the stare and faces forward again. He feels better with this. Calmer.

Enough so that he finally asks, "Do you think it was intentional? Us being at odds." At each others' throat for authority, for the accolades of the Supreme Leader.

"I suppose that would make sense- if we are fighting each other that would make it easier for Snoke to control us and keep us going above and beyond just to spite each other," he said thoughtfully, frowning at the idea. He didn't like the idea of being manipulated so easily but it made sense on some level.

"But at the same time our failure to work together and coordinate resulted in failures and losses for the First Order, including Starkiller's destruction. Even the weapon did what it was made for, it was still a huge loss of resources." It occurred to him that this was the longest conversation they had which hadn't resulted in yelling at each other and storming off. Apparently, they needed to die in order to work together.

"Assuming his goals were the same as those of the First Order," Snoke had been so focused on finding Luke, on destroying the last traces of the Force from the galaxy beyond Kylo and Snoke himself.

Death did take away the immediacy of the need to one up each other. "What do you think happens when the transport stops?" Or was this their afterlife. Sitting on this thing until the eventual heat death of the galaxy.

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